Ferrous metal supported zinc oxide bismuth oxide catalyst



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Patented Mar. 2, 1948 mama JBIsNIUTHioXmEf eArmms'r' l rate and pressure Vtoter-'m --the corresponding* ketones. K

It is well known*tatft'`-fdehydrogenation of 'primary andsecondaryvalcohols tothe corre-v Vspondlxzl-g aldehydes-y and' ketones-may be affected by`V passing the alcohols1=atlevated temperatur-'esover substanees'acting'as dehydragenatoncatafmts. The lf-rstrcawlyses employeuizn tmsneld were metals 'suchfl as copper? brass? etc. High operating.` temperatures and short clartalqrst,vx lfl'le were chef-chief 'disadvantages of ythese when use'di rinthisfcszar'm'ectiorn Later; zine oxide, cerium'- oxide; `magnes'um?'cuide Vand lather dmcultly reducble oxides were used toadvantage Y and'fg-alve gfobd'yie'lds ofA )productse` Combinations of cata1ytifc'-metals and dimeultly'reducble oxides" oxides have fa= dehydrattngfas Well :asfvdehydroh Agenatiorfl7 effect Whichf causes "La redt-lotionin-v the verallayield'fof desi-red precincts' dueltothe regen; eration of olenffroml the alcohols;r ='Foif-'thepuif-v pose of 'suppressingr amig controlling -v these.' f

desrable side reactions; alkali"l arid alkaline earth thesefadditizv's nauwer; tombera more susceptible to poison.'`

YRecently iff-arias been `mum that tri-Calamity Y :ofdmcumryraueiblefeaides -swdehydmgnamn rcipal di'sadvntzeiofffoxide catalysts general-ly ls-f that in practi-cef'they reqmirea'carer'or catalyst "support in order yter'- obtairr a-deuhlate'contact be tween the cataly'starrdthereactantl- 4known .sur

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3 RR'CHOH where R may be an alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl or cycloalkyl radical and R can be hydrogen or an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl or cycloalkyl radical such as methyl, ethyl, prop yl, etc.; phenyl; benzyL'etc.; methyl, phenyl or cycloh'exyl, is a mixture of zinc oxide containing from '1-6% of bismuth oxide, BizOs, based upon the weightcf zinc oxide used. In the preparation of this cata;- lyst it is preferred to mix the two oxides intheylv proper proportions in powdered form,'then work in enough Water to makea heavy slurry of the oxides, the slurry to be about the consistency of heavy cream. This will ordinarily require a volume of water approximately equivalent to the volume of powder used. Thiscatalyst slurryis then in condition to be coated on a carrier..l

Alternative procedures now present themselves TheV `metal may first be subjected to humid conditions for coating the catalyst on the carrier.

capable of promoting rapid oxidation such as maintaining the metal in a Water spray chamber at 100 F. until a coating of oxide has formed, vthen remove the oxidized metal and place it in a tumbling machine along with the catalyst slurry and tumble until a uniform coating of catalyst over the catalyst support isv obtained. For this purpose it is customary to Supply about 3 to 6 pounds of catalyst or 5 to 12 pounds of catalyst slurry per 100 pounds of metal. The preferred f formation of the porous oxide film on the surface of the support can be further assisted by airblowing if desired. The catalyst support coated' with catalyst is then placed in an oveny at 80 The catalyst is thenl ready the reaction chamber. The time interval while the converter is being brought up to reaction temperature is suiicient topermit the formation of the oxide bonding agent.

,The formation of methyl ethyl ketone from secondary butyl alcohol provides an example of the manner in which the catalysts of the, present invention may be utilized. The conversion of secondary alcohols to ketones is accomplished by' passing the alcohol in vapor form'through a catalyst packed tube heated to thev temperature of lfrom :S50-500 C. at a pressure of from about 1-3 vatmospheres and a feed or feed rate of f romn '.5-10 volumes of liquid alcoholper volumejpf' catalyst per hour. The vapors are then passed to a. condenser where. the ketone andunreacted alcohol Aare condensed .from the not readily Corldensible gases consisting predominantly; oi llivvdrogen and a small amount of. ordinarily 00065 Having outlined. the general prinipls'lofthe l invention, the followingexamples, which are jineluded .merely for purposes of illustration and no t as a limitation, of the conversion of secondary A butyl alcohol' to methyl 'ethyl ketone run under the conditions indicated -in these examples,

graphically demonstrate thesuperiority of the present catalyst carrier'as a "support for oxide put, thermal stability and longer life. It has been determined by visual inspection, that catalytic oxides when coated upon a catalyst support in accordance with the method of the present in- 5 vention are i'lrmlyimbedded Within the surface ofthe porous oxide film,A on thelmetal carrier. When supported in this way the catalyst oxide does not readily dust off. It has been noted 7 that when catalysts are prepared using brass or 10 granularwpumice `as the catalyst support, a large @layer of catalyst will be found in the bottom of the drying oven where it has been deposited after fiaking .off-of the catalyst support. Also when f the catalyst is moved from the drying oven to l5 the conversion chamber a considerable volume of 4dust appears around both the drying oven and ff. overthe portin the conversion chamber.

CA'rALYsr AcrIvrrY Example -I [Temperature=400 Graf/sq. 111.] Catalytic oxides. Zn O-Bl203 Support Brass Brass--. Steel. Adhesive agent NagCOa. 0 0. Per cent conversions at- 1.5 v./v./hr. 90.4 98.0 96.0. 6.0 v./v./hr- 58.0 92.0..." 93.0.

Catalyst adherence- Good- Po0r. Good.

" THERMAL SimefnrrxTv Example H Catalytic oxide ZnO-BizOz Support Brass Brass". Steel. Adhesive agent NagCO. 0 0. Per cent conversions at- 400 C. and 1.5 v./v./hr 90.4,--." 98.0 96.0. 500 C. and 3.0 v./v./hr 59.1.-." 97.0- 97.0. Catalyst adherence Good... Poor Good.

CATALYs'r LIFE vEzrrample III In Iactual plant operation using ZnO-l6% NazCOs on a brass carrier, converting secondary butyl alcohol to methyl ethyl ketone at 400 C. and '1-3 atmospheres pressure, employing a feed rate -of 1.0 v./v./hr., the catalyst is replaced about 'every 90 days. The average percentage conversion during this period is 80%. During such a run several of the tubes in the reaction chamber plug up due to the fusion of the brass carrier land such tubes must be rebored before being again placed 1in operation.

In a -trial run involving ZnO-l-6% BizOa on brass using no bonding agent and under the conditions outlined above, the catalyst required replacement-'after only 70 days operation. During the last 10 days of operation the percentage con- -version dropped from 90% to 50% and. when the converter was opened it was found that several of the tubes contained fused brass.

A tube was then charged with ZnO-l6% BizOs carried on a steel support made as -described in the present application. After'180 days of operation this catalyst was still converting more than 'of the alcohol'to ketone'. The experiment -w'as terminated' at this time to provide an opporvhturiity to inspect the tube which was found to, be Afree" and clear of 'all' indication of fused carrier. y What is claimed is: 1";"As a compositio'nfof matter, a catalyst bonded on a ferrous metal'support by an oxide of iron, said catalyst being a mixture consisting of zinc oxide and 1-6% of bismuth oxide based on I0 `theweight of zinc oxide and'said catalyst mixture being 3 to 6% by weight of said support. f "'2. A composition of matter as in claim 1 in which the ferrous metal is cast iron. "3'.'A' composition of matter as in claim l in catalysts with respect to activity at high t'hrou'glEi-7A "75"" which `the "ferrous metal is' a stainable steel.

4,.. As a composition of matter, a. catalyst bonded on a ferrous metal support by an oxide of iron, said catalyst being a mixture consisting of zinc oxide and 6% bismuth oxide based on the weight of zinc oxide and said catalytic mixture being 3 to 6% by weight of said support.

5. A composition of matter as in claim 4 in which the ferrous metal is stainable steel.

6. A composition of matter as in claim 4 in which the ferrous metal is cast iron.

VVINCENT F. MISTRETTA.

REFERENCES CITED Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Francon Oct. 11, 1938 Barker Apr. 18, 1933 Wietzel et al. Feb. 16, 1932 Adams Sept. 5, 1944 Lazier L.. Feb. 11, 1930 Kearby Mar. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 10, 1930 

